New York Shitty Photos Du Jour: The Manhattan Avenue Wienerfest, Day Two

As some of you might recall, yesterday I encountered the above installation while running a few errands. What you may not know is who is responsible for this chicanery. His name is Josef, and he is quite awesome. Which brings me to today…

He has added quite a bit of new material. Including:

These two missives. He elaborated on the one to the right. It reads:

Everywhere. Everyday. We’re with you.

This was gleaned from an advertisement for TD Bank. He explained to me that that DOMA being overturned made him quite happy because:

I do not care who you love— or who loves who.

Right on— but let’s continue.

Here’s a rather lovely mirror graced by one of Josef’s paintings. He employed dried parsley, poppy seeds and mustard seeds so as to give it some “texture”.

This is portrait of himself “back in the day” with some blue paint thrown in for good measure.

And a few slices of bread and a paint brush now accompany the kiwi fruit.

Where’s the kielbasa?

I inquired. His answer was somewhat hard to decipher. But here it goes:

1. Ne noted it was fascinating how the sun seemed to cook it. I countered that given how hot it is, this is not surprising.
2. Someone stole it. (To eat? Who knows.)
3. Someone posted a picture of it on the Internet.

Was it you?

He added. I answered to the affirmative. He went on the explain that he could not afford kielbasa today, so slices of bread will have to do. I mulled this development over. “Fuck it”, I thought to myself. “I may not be a Medici or a Guggenheim but I am going to do my part to patronize a local artist”.

Here’s five dollars. Go get some kielbasa and some lunch.

And went on my way.

When I came back home I stopped to see if Josef kept his word. Well, the following speaks for itself…

Alas he was not present. (I wanted to request he place a sign next to the meat stick stating “Weiner For Mayor”). However you can see both bread and kielbasa were procured. The latter has been hung (pun completely intended) for everyone’s edification.

What’s more, Josef left the price tag of his purchase (so as to ensure my donation was spent on sausage) AND he left business cards for the establishment from which he procured said meaty goodness: W-Nassau Meat Market. This makes for one of the most inspired low budget advertising campaigns in my humble opinion. Is it ideologically consistent for a vegetarian to enable this hooliganism? No, probably not. But it is awesome nonetheless. Viva Greenpoint!